2023_04_21 Insight Post- Emma Keeton
This week’s reading- Exodus 24, Mark 10, Exodus 34, Luke 22
If you have made it this far with the bible reading plan this year, stop for a moment and congratulate yourself! We are reading between 2-4 chapters of the bible each week, and some of those chapters are long! Even if you are not getting through all the reading every time, you are making a decision to know God better through His word, and your relationship with Him will grow!
In this week’s reading, we come across something that is all too familiar to us: the need for a Savior. In Exodus and Luke, people set out with great enthusiasm to be faithful to God, but it is not long before that feeling wears off. Fear and disillusion set in, but God’s response is to always be faithful to His people.
In Exodus 24 God makes a covenant with Israel through Moses as the mediator:
“Then he took the book of the Covenant and read it to the people. Then they responded, “we will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.” Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Exodus 24: 7-8
You probably know what happens next. Israel worships other gods and does not keep the Ten Commandments. There is a constant need for sacrifice to pay for the sins of the people.
Fast forward to Luke 22, and Jesus is having the Last Supper with His disciples before facing his arrest, trial, and death on the cross.
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Luke 22: 31-33
You probably know what happens next. Peter does not go with Jesus to death. Peter denies that he even knows Him.
Jesus knew Peter’s sin, just as He knows ours. He was the perfect final sacrifice that was needed for us. Jesus is our mediator between us and God. Remember today that Jesus covers every one of our sins, even when we break our promises to Him.
“From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.” John 1:16
Serenity Prayer-Alternate Version
God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change,
which is pretty much everyone,
since I’m clearly not you, God.
At least not the last time I checked.
And while you’re at it, God,
please give me the courage to change what I need to change about myself,
which is frankly a lot, since, once again, I’m not you, which means I’m not perfect.
It’s better for me to focus on changing myself,
than to worry about changing other people,
who, as you’ll no doubt remember me saying,
I can’t change anyway.
Finally, give me the wisdom to just shut up
whenever I think that I’m clearly smarter than everyone else in the room,
that no one knows what they’re talking about except me,
or that I alone have all the answers.
In Jesus Name.
Emma Keeton
Prayer Team Lead